Critique of Chapman's "Energy Problems in the Pacific Northwest"

Abstract

I gather from the remarks tonight thus far that most of the audience is familiar with the past development of the Columbia River. But, just to be sure, I would like to point out that the federal government first became involved in the development of the Columbia River in the 1930's when Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams were started as WPA projects. The agency I am with, Bonneville Power Administration, was created in 1937 to serve as the marketing agency for the power produced at these federal multi-purpose projects. We started with Bonneville dam and today we have as the sources of generation 15 federal multi-purpose projects in the Columbia River Basin. Five more are under construction, and an addi tional three authorized for construction. The agency I represent markets power in the Pacific Northwest, basically defined as Washington, Oregon, northern Idaho, and Western Montana. The load data figures given to you by Dr. Chapman actually cover a little bit more geography than the agency I represent. I believe southern Idaho is included in his figures. In the geographic area in which we operate, we are wholesalers to 115 different entities—89 are utilities. One of these, I might mention is the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority serving western British Columbia. We have been intertied at Blaine since World War II.